According to the fcriptures, there have not yet been fix thousand years fince the creation. And there are a variety of facts and arguments which prove the world cannot be much older than it is reprefented to be in facred hillory which have been mentioned by many writers : And there are no appearances or facts, which give the leaft evidence of the contrary. It has been asked, Why the world was not created fooner? Why it would not have been wifer and better, to have had it created fo much sooner, or before it was created, as to have every thing ready for the day of judgment by this time; yea, fo as tohave had all the blessed in the enjoyment of complete happiness for millions of ages already? For this would have been fo much clear gain of happiness, which is really loft, and never can be enjoyed, because the world was created so late. It may be observed upon this, in the first place, that this question can never be satisfied, fo that it might not fill be asked with as much reafon and propriety, as it is now asked; and therefore it must be an improper and unreasonable queftion. If the world had now exifted and ten thousand ages instead of fix thousand years; were this poffible, ftill the queftion might be asked, with as much apparent reason as now, Why it had not been created fo early, as now to have exifted ten millions of ages instead of ten thousand? And fo on without end. That question or demand, which in the nature of things cannot be answered or fatisfied, on any fuppofition what foever, is unreasonable, and ought never to be made. In the fecond place, This question is inconfiftent and abfurd, and can really have no meaning, Antecedent to the beginning of time, there could be no fucceffion, from one minute or hour to another; for minutes and hours P 4 trary perhaps may be fupported by fatisfactory evidence: And fome aftronomers affert that this can be demonftrated by astronomical calculations, But this will be more particularly considered in the sequel. } hours relate only to time. There was no before or after, fooner or later. Antecedent to the creation of the world, there was no exiftence but the Creator, who only exifts without beginning to exift, and therefore without fuccef fion. There is no fuch thing, or idea to answer the words, before or after, fooner or later, with refpect to him, and his exiftence. Thefe are relative terms, and denote ideas that relate to time; and therefore cannot be used with propriety, to denote any thing antecedent to creation; because no fuch thing can be predicated of abfolute eternity, which has no relation to time, and fucceffion. Therefore it may be with truth afferted, that the world could not be created SOONER than it was, or BE FORE it was actually created. Because there was no fucceffion, and therefore nothing fooner or later, before or after, antecedent to creation. And when it is afked, Why the world was not created fo early, that from the creation, to the present time, as many millions of years fhould have paffed, as there have thousands? There is an impropriety in the queflion, in the use of the word early, because there was no fuch thing as early or late, antecedent to the creation, and therefore, this is altother inapplicable to eternity, and is a word when used in this case, without any idea or meaning, or if any idea be affixed to it, or conveyed by it, it is a falfe and delufive one, or not agreeable to the truth, as has been juft before proved. But, if the word early, were allowed to be proper, it may upon this be observed, that the world could not be created fo foon, or fo early, but that there must be a time, when there have been just fo many years from the creation, to that time, as there have actually been fince the world was created, to this time. And whenever that time had come, and the world had been created but fix thousand years, the question might be asked, why the world was not created before, fo that millions of years fhould have paffed by that time, instead instead of fix thousand? And on that fuppofition, this queftion would be as proper and reasonable, as it is now. And therefore it may be always afked, and never can be fatisfied: Confequently is an unreasonable, abfurd queftion, as has been shown. Befides, the querift may be asked, fince, though the world were created ever fo early, even as soon as it was poffible it could be created; yet there must be a time when it had exifted juft fo many years, as it has now actually exifted; how does he know, that he does not live in that very time, and that the world was created as early as his question demands; yea, as foon as it could be created, and have a beginning? He who attends to this, will doubtless perceive how unreasonable and abfurd it is to fuppofe that the creation might have been sooner or later, or that there might now have been more or a less number of years fince the creation, than there have been, by creating the world fooner or later, than it was actually created: And therefore, that there is no propriety or fense in the question, which has been confidered. And perhaps it may be thought needlefs to introduce it here, and say so much, or even any thing, by way of answer. It has been a question, When, or at what time of the year, the world was created, and time began? The general opinion has been that the world was made, and time began at or about the autumnal equinox. It is reafonable to fuppofe that the fruits of the earth, neceffary for the support and convenience of man, were all ready for his ufe, when he was created, and therefore that the trees, &c. were created with their fruit in maturity, which they have fince conftantly produced, at that time of the year? which in the climate in which Adam was created, is in the latter end of our September, or beginning of October. And there is this greater evidence that N H that time began at that time of the year, viz. that all nations, began their years at that time; and Abraham and and his decendants did fo, until they left the land of Egypt; when God ordered them to begin their religious year at the vernal equinox, which takes place in our March, Yet even then, and after that, they continued to begin their civil year, at the atumnal equinox, as other nations did. This is evident from the beginning of the seventh month, reckoning from the beginning of their ecclefiaftical year, being faid to be in the end of the year. That is, when the year past had ended, and another year was began.* "Thou shalt keep the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou haft gathered in thy labours out of the field." WHEN God had created the world, and furnished the earth in a manner fuited for the habitation of man, he created Adam, and then formed Eve out of one of his ribs, laft of all in the end of the fixth day. The particular manner of making Eve, expreffed the near and intimate union which was to take place between the fexes, and their mutual relation and dependence, togeth-" er with the fuperiority of the man to the woman. These two were lo formed, that the whole human race was contained and formed in them, and to be propagated from them; so that in creating these two parents of mankind; and commanding them to multiply and fill the earth, all mankind were created. And as, in creating them he made the whole human race, and they comprehended the whole; fo there was a propriety, in treating them as if they were the whole, in his transactions with them, and what he said to them; in this, having respect to all their pofterity, and comprehending them, as much as if they had then actually exifted. As in forming the trees and plants, with the feeds in them, according to their kind, by which they were to propagate the fame kind • Exod. xxiii. 15, 16. kind to the end of the world, he created and really gave exiftence and form, to all the trees and plants that grow out of the earth; they being all comprehended in the original flock; and exifting after their feveral kinds, by the fame command which formed the firft of the kind, and under the fame regulations and laws of nature: So in creating the original ftock, the firft parents of mankind, with power, and under a command, to propagate their kind, God created all their pofterity; and by forming them, formed the whole, after their kind. And what he did for, and with them, he did for all, and they, with all their race were put under the fame regulations and laws; and what he said to these parents of mankind, he faid to them and their pofterity. Man was made fuperiour to all other creatures on the earth, being created with a rational foul, capable of understanding things of a moral nature, and acting voluntarily, from moral motives: by which he was placed in the moral world, being made capable of moral government; of being under a moral law, and of obedience, or difobedience to it; and of reward or punishment, according to his moral exercises and conduct. And he was made in the moral image of God, with a good difcerning, afte or disposition, or rectitude of mind and will, or heart; by which he was perfectly conformed to the rule of his duty, or the moral law; which is the fame with conformity to the moral character of God. This is to be made in the image of God, and after his likenefs, in the highest and most proper fenfe, and to exift in the most excellent manner, and must be implied in the expreffion, "Let us make man in our image, and after our likeness." And in the affertion, " So God created man in his own. image, in the image of God created he him:" Though that which is lefs perfect and excellent, may be implied in this, viz. his natural faculties and endowments of understanding and will, and his being made lord of thi earth, |